Somei Satoh
Hymn for the Sun
ALM Records (Japan) 1976
AL-11 (LP) gatefold sleeve.
sleeve : VG+(dirts.)
media : EX-/EX(some slightly noises. A2 has some light click noises.)
An extraordinary masterpiece album released in 1976 by Japanese composer Satoshi Sato, who taught himself composition and left behind numerous unparalleled works. The tracks "Litania" (A1) and "Hymn for the Sun" (B1) were composed in 1973 and exemplify minimal music, where the shifts created by repeated simple chords and layered modal recordings produce a moiré effect, resulting in a three-dimensional sonic experience. This technique was later inherited in "Keshin II" and "Tainai Uchuu", composed in 1978. "Mirror" (A2), composed in 1975, is a piece where the sparse use of notes seems to reflect delicate light off a mirror’s surface. The contrast between the dynamism of A1 and the tranquility of A2 is truly remarkable. A stunning album from start to finish, this is undoubtedly one of his greatest masterpieces. Highly, highly recommended.
A1: Litania
A2: Mirror
B1: Hymn for the Sun